Cocktail workshop at House of Bols in Amsterdam

House of Bols and my favorite expat website, www.expatica.com organized last friday a workshop for expats. The whole tour included the visit of the museum, 1 free cocktail prepared in front of you and then 1h30 - or 5 cocktails- workshop where a bartender trainer taught to our group of 30 expats how to work behind a bar!

First I have to say, that this tour was really complete and amazing! I really thank the whole team at House of Bols for their professionalism and their joy! I really had a good time! I went with a friend of mine, I do not see so much, and we really enjoyed the time there!

The first part is dedicated to the history of the brand,... but nothing boring! The museum is designed in order you can really enjoy and learn at the same time! Something similar with what I experienced in the Whisky brewery in Edimburgh!

Then, you go to a computer where you define what is your favourite kind of cocktail: fruity, complex,....

The computer choose the best cocktail for you and print it. Then you go to a small room like a mirror box with a long bar at the end where 2 bartenders wait for you and your cocktail! They will artistically then prepare the cocktail in front of you! Do you remember Tom Cruise in the Cocktail movie? Something similar happens in front of you eyes! The bartenders are professional, nice, and,.... let´s say it: cute!

You get your drink and you just stay around enjoying the good atmosphere!

Then Rob arrived and asked us to follow him to the workshop!

We get into a long room like a bar, with nice lights, good music and plenty of Bols liquors bottles! The Bols liquors are in a special bottle, specially designed for bartenders and you can find any kind of flavours! This is something quite amazing actually! Earlier, during the museum tour, you can smell all the flavours of the liquors, and it is really fun to try to recognize each flavour!

Our bartrender trainer, Rob, was really great, funny, professional,... and good looking! Yes! Again! But the best of him, was not that he was cute,... I promised. For me the best thing was that he was really fun and professional at the same time! He showed us how to prepare 5 cocktails.

Each time, once he showed us the process and explained a lot about how to handle a bar, we were going to our own bar, and go our own cocktail like a professional!This is the recipe of my favourite: Dutch PornstarGlass: Large cocktail glassGarnish: 1/2 passion fruitIngredients:- 30 ml Bols jonge Genever- 15 ml Bols passion fruit- 15 ml Bols vanilla- 30 ml passion fruit juice- 2 lime wedges- 1/2 passion fruit

Method: Scoop the flesh out of 1/2 a passion fruit into the shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice! Strain into a large cocktail glass and garnich with 1/2 passion fruit. The recipe does not tell the trick! The bartender asked us to pour into the 1/2 passion fruit that is floating in the glass some Bols passion fruit liquor. Delicious!!!! I don't know if it is porn, but it is passionate, I can tell you!

In addition, you can drink and taste all the alcohol that was behind you.... I used this opportunity to discover and understand what it genever! Genever, the grand father of the gin is a white alcohol made with grains and genever berries. It was created here in the Netherlands.

You can find different kind of genevers:

- jong genever

-oud genever

- corwijn

These main kinds are defined by the recipe used more than the aging. The old genever is called so, because they use an old recipe to make it,... sound strange,.. but it is good to know!

I tried all of them, and did not really fancy any of them... even the luxury one, was nothing really good for me.

But then, Rob, made me try 3 aged genever: 6, 10 years and another different one.

The taste is closer to a cognac and I really appreciate it!

So, again, I come back to this conclusion, that I really, only like expensive stuffs,.... what can I do about it?????????

Anyway, I really enjoyed the evening, and I learned a lot, had a lot of fun with a bunch of great people, and we even had a small competition that was really fun!

If you have the opportunity to go, please, do not miss it! After the Van Gogh Museum, and before the Rijks,... stop by the House of Bols! You will like it!